Colon superintendent candidate list reduced to two

A day after one St. Joseph County school district settled on its next superintendent, Colon Community Schools whittled its list of top administrative candidates from three to two.

By Jef RietsmaJournal Correspondent

A day after one St. Joseph County school district settled on its next superintendent, Colon Community Schools whittled its list of top administrative candidates from three to two.Victor Bungi and Mike Corey made the final cut following a day-long session of meetings Tuesday with committees and the district’s board of education.Board president Ernie Baker said it was clear the board wasn’t ready to endorse one or the other following lengthy discussions that lasted until almost 11 p.m. Monday.“I got the sense that it would have been a 3-3 split, so we needed to table it and re-think with clear heads,” Baker said. “This is a big decision — the biggest ever made during my time on the board, at least — and we may get criticized for dragging our feet, but this is our next superintendent we’re talking about.”Candidate Drew Bordner was eliminated as a contender Tuesday.Bungi, of Gladstone, is curriculum and instruction supervisor for the Delta/Schoolcraft Intermediate School District in the Upper Peninsula.Corey, of Mesick, is superintendent at Mesick Public Schools.Baker said a site visit between now and the board’s April 21 meeting is the next course of action. He said Bungi previously held an administrative position at a Traverse City-area district. Rather than venture to the U.P., district officials who make the site visit will instead find out more about Bungi from his former employer in Traverse City.They plan to spend a day in Mesick on the way up to gain more feedback about Corey.Either way, Baker said he is confident a decision will be made April 21.During Tuesday’s afternoon meetings, the three candidates met with representatives from five different demographics for informal question-and-answer sessions. The groups included teachers, students, community members, support staff and parents.Feedback from each group was consistent with the board’s consensus —Bungi and Corey were the favorites.“I joked with some of the members, telling them they weren’t very helpful because they didn’t give us a definitive favorite,” Baker said. “Still, one thing we heard from every group is we had three strong candidates, and the board agrees. (Bordner) didn’t make the cut, but he’ll get the job somewhere else and someone will benefit greatly from having him as their leader.”Bordner is the son of board member Deb Bordner. She recused herself from discussions pertaining to her son and did not participate in discussions about the finalists.Baker commended her for her professionalism.“As a parent, I know it probably wasn’t easy for Deb to see her son not get the offer, but she has been nothing short of professional about the situation,” Baker said. “Again, Drew will land on his feet and he’ll be an asset.”The next superintendent’s base salary will range between $95,000 and $105,000.Jay Newman has been serving as superintendent on an interim basis since September, stepping in for Lloyd Kirby, who retired in August.The decision came a day after Jean Logan was named superintendent at Three Rivers Community Schools.